Maternity garment



y 1966 M. M. VITOLO MATERNITY GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 20, 1964 INVENTOR MARGUERITE M. VITOLO ATTORNEYfi MATERNITY GARMENT Filed May 20, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4. FIG. 8.

INVENTOR MARGUERITE M. VITOLO WWW W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,258,780 MATERNITY GARMENT Marguerite M. Vitolo, 500 W. 35th St., New York, N.Y. Filed May 20, 1964, Ser. No. 368,819 9 Claims. (Cl. 274) This invention relates to maternity garments, particularly maternity dresses, and more particularly to an improved maternity garment Which may be worn in conforming relation with the normal figure while being continuously expandible, during progression of pregnancy, to accommodate the enlargement of the figure without distorting the general lines of the garment.

Various types of maternity garments have beeen proposed from time to time, and some of these garments are provided with features of adjustability. However, all known maternity garments have the disadvantage that, While they are designed to accommodate an expanding figure with advancing pregnancy, they do not have a sylish or figure conforming fit. Furthermore, such garments generally are not readily adaptable to the normal figure in an inconspicuous manner.

An object of the present invention is to provide a maternity dress or the like which may be worn as a normalfigure conforming dress without there being any indication that the dress is a maternity dress.

A further object is to provide such a maternity dress which may be expanded gradually in girth, with increase in figure dimensions due to advancing pregnancy, without detracting in any way from the overall appearance of the dress.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a maternity dress which, both with a normal figure and with an enlarged figure due to pregnancy, may be worn in several different manners to change radically the appearance of style of the dress.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a maternity dress of the foregoing type which is simple, inexpensive, and has at all times a neat appearance irrespective of the figure size.

In accordance with the present invention, a convertible and adjustable maternity dress is provided which includes an upper waist portion having a neck opening and sleeve openings, with the upper waist portion conforming substantially to the normal figure dimensions. At a short distance below the sleeve openings, the dress is laterally enlarged substantially to form substantially flat wings each having a substantially rectilinear edge extending substantially horizontally outwardly from adjacent the lower edge of the upper waist portions. These wings have outer edges extending downwardly from their substantially horizontal upper edges whereby the wings may be folded toward each other over either the front or rear of the dress, to form a garment conforming to the normal lower figure, While being expandible continuously to accommodate lower figure enlargement with advancing pregnancy.

A feature of the invention is a pair of decorative outer ties each extending from the upper outer corner of a wing, these ties being arranged to be tied either in front or in back depending upon whether it is desired to have the wings overlap the front of the dress or overlap the rear of the dress. Further, inner ties are provided also extending from the outer corners of the side wings, but inside the dress, and these inner ties provide for wrapping the 3,258,780- Patented July 5, 1966 panels around the figure inside of the front or back of the dress to give a slender appearance to the exterior surface of the dress as compared to the pleated effect provided when the panels are lapped over the outer surface of the front or back of the dress.

For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the maternity dress embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the maternity dress shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the dress illustrating the wings as lapped over and tied in the front of the dress, the dress being illustrated as conforming to a normal figure;

FIG. 5 is a section on the line 55 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a rear elevation view of the dress illustrating the wings as folded over the rear of the dress and tied, the dress being shown as worn with a substantially normal figure;

FIG. 7 is a section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the dress as fully expanded to accommodate a pregnant figure;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9--9 of FIG. 8, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 10 is a front elevation view of the dress illustrating the appearance of the dress when the Wings are folded over inside the dress and with the inner ties joined;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 10 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11, but illustrating the wings as overlapped, on the interior of the dress, inside the rear of the dress rather than the front thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a maternity dress 15 embodying the invention is illustrated as comprising a substantially one piece front panel 16 and a rear panel 17 which may either be a single piece, having a slit extending downwardly partway from the upper edge thereof, or is preferably two pieces 17A and 17B joined along a seam 18 extending upwardly partway from the bottom edge of the panels 17A and 17B. Above the upper end of scam 18, panels 17A and 17B are releasably interconnected by a separable slide fastener, generally indicated at 20, of the Zipper type. One panel, such as the panel 17A, may have a hem 21 extending therealong to overlap and conceal the slide fastener 20.

The front and rear panels are joined along their side edges to form a garment having a relatively narrow upper waist portion 25 which conforms substantially to the normal figure. At the upper edge of waist portion 25, the front and rear panels are conjointly formed to provide a neck opening 22. The front and rear panels also form, in the particular embodiment illustrated, short sleeves 23, extending from suitable sleeve openings laterally from upper waist portion 25. The under sides or under arm portions of sleeves 23 may include gussets or inserts 24, and short tuck seams 26 are taken in front panels 16 just below the gussets 24. Tuck seams 26 extend inwardly from the side edges 27 of the upper waist portion, and side edges 27 conform substantially to the normal upper waist figure.

At a relatively short distance below the sleeves 23 and the sleeve openings of the garment, and preferably at the lower ends of the side edges 27 of the upper waist portion, the garment is laterally enlarged a substantial extent to form a pair of wings or panels 30, of double thickness. For this purpose, front panel 15 is formed with Wing portions F, and rear panel 17 is formed with wing portions 30R. The upper edges of the respective panels 30F and 30R are seamed together to form substantially rectilinear upper edges 31 for the Wings, these upper edges being indicated as extending substantially horizontally outwardly from the lower edge of the upper waist portion 25. Actually, the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, these upper edges 31 slope outwardly and downwardly at a very small acute angle to the horizontal. The wing portions 30F and 30R have side or outer edges 32 which extend downwardly from the upper edges 31, and these side edges are seamed together by seams 33 as shown more particularly in FIG. 3. The lower edges of the wings 30 are continuations of the lower edges of the main portions of the front panel 16 and the rear panel 17.

In accordance with the invention, garment 15 has outer ties 35, '35, each of which extends from the upper outer corner of a respective wing 30. As best seen in FIG. 3, ties have their inner ends inserted between the folded over inner ends of the wing portions 30F and 30R and united to the wings by the seams 33. Further, garment 15 has inner ties each of which extends inwardly from the upper outer corner of a wing 30, the inner ends of inner ties 40 overlapping the inner ends of outer ties 35 and being secured in position by the seams 33.

FIGS. 412 illustrate the various modes or manners with which the garment may be worn. FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the garment when worn with a slightly enlarged figure and with the wings 30 folded over the outside of the front panel 16 and held in position by tying the ties 35. This arrangement gives a pleated effect or appearance to the front of the garment.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the garment with the wings 30 folded or lapped over the rear panel 17, and again held in position by the outer ties 35, the garment again being illustrated as applied to a slightly enlarged figure. It will be noted that the appearance of garment 15 from the rear, as viewed in FIG. 6 is somewhat similar to that of a regular gown having rear pleats.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the garment when enlarged to its full extent to accommodate a full figure as during the later period of pregnancy. Thus, in the arrangement shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the inner ties 40 are tied around the back to hold the garment in smooth relation over the front of the figure. The wings 30, in the wearing position shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, are substantially fully expanded, yet it will be noted that the garment still has an attractive appearance.

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 illustrate the garment as worn with the normal figure, and without the figure being expanded at all. In FIGS. 10 and 11, the wings '30 are folded over rear panel 17 and are tied together by the outer ties 35. The inner ties 40' are brought around the front of the figure and tied together beneath the front panel 16. FIG. 12 differs from FIGS. 10 and 11 in that, in the arrangement shown in FIG. 12, the wings 30 are folded over the front panel 16 and held in position by the ties 30, while the inner ties 40 are brought around the rear of the figure and tied together.

It will thus be seen that the garment has a great deal of versatility as to the manner in which it may be worn, in addition to which it is continuously expandible with 4; the figure growth accompanying advancing pregnancy. Despite this, the garment at all times has an attractive appearance whether worn with a normal figure, a partly expanded figure, -or a fully distended figure.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise Without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

II. A continuously adjustable maternity dress comprising superposed front and rear panels permanently secured directly to each other along peripheral edges to define a double thickness upper waist portion having a neck opening and sleeve openings, said upper waist portion conforming substantially to the normal figure dimensions; said panels, at a short distance below said sleeve openings, being laterally enlarged substantially to form double thickness substantially fiat wings having substantially rectilinear upper edges, along which the panels are permanently seamed directly to each other, extending susbtantially horizontally outwardly from the lower edges of said upper waist portion; said wings having outer edges, along which the panels are permanently seamed directly to each other, extending downwardly from said substantially horizontal upper edges; whereby said wings may be folded toward each other over either the front or the rear of the dress, to form a garment conforming to the normal figure while being expandible to accommodate lower figure enlargement with advancing pregnancy.

2. A continuously adjustable maternity dress comprising superposed front and rear panels permanently secured directly to each other along peripheral edges to define a double thickness upper waist portion having a neck opening and sleeve openings, said upper waist portion conforming substantially to the normal figure dimensions; said panels, at a short distance below said sleeve openings, being laterally enlarged substantially to form double thickness substantially fiat wings having substantially recti linear upper edges, along which the panels are permanently seamed directly to each other, extending substantially horizontally outwardly from the lower edges of said upper waist portion; said wings having outer edges, along which the panels are permanently seamed directly to each other, extending downwardly from said substantially horizontal upper edges; and tie means secured to and extending outwardly from the outer edges of said wings; whereby said wings may be folded toward each other over either the front or the rear of the dress, and said tie means tied, to form a garment conforming to the normal lower figure while being expandible to accommodate lower figure enlargement with advancing pregnancy.

3. A continuously adjustable maternity dress, as claimed in claim 2, in which said tie means extend externally of the garment.

4. A continuously adjustable maternity dress, as claimed in claim 2, in which said tie means extend interiorly of the garment.

5. A continuously adjustable maternity dress, as claimed in claim 2, in which there are two sets of tie means, one extending interiorly of the garment and the other extending exteriorly of the garment.

6. A continuously adjustable maternity dress, as claimed in claim 1, in which said rear panel comprises two sub-panels joined at a seam extending upwardly substantially centrally of said rear panel from the bottom :dge thereof to a point intermediate the upper and lower edges thereof; the adjacent inner edges of said subapanels being free from the upper end of said seam to the upper edge of said rear panel; and fastener means for securing together the free portions of the inner edges of said subpanels.

7. A continuously adjustable maternity dress, as claimed in claim 6, in which said fastener means comprises separable slide fastener means.

8. A continuously adjustable maternity dress, as claimed in claim 6, in which the outer edges of said front and rear panel wing portions are joined together by side seams; said tie means including a pair of ties having inner ends disposed 'between the wing portions of said front and rear panels and secured in position by said side seams.

9. A continuously adjustable maternity dress, as claimed in claim 8, in which there are two pairs of ties, each having an inner end secured in a respective side seam, one pair of ties extending interiorly of the dress and the other pair of ties extending exteriorly of the dress.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,372,189 3/1921 Pollock 2-75 1,524,345 1/1925 Bose 2-75 2,429,168 10/1947 Padget 269.5 2,927,325 3/ 1960 Penniman 2-76 OTHER REFERENCES 8,435 0f/1913 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

M. J. COLITZ, P. D. LAWSON, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A CONTINUOUSLY ADJUSTABLE MATERNITY DRESS COMPRISING SUPERPOSED FRONT AND REAR PANELS PERMANENTLY SECURED DIRECTLY TO EACH OTHER ALONG PERIPHERAL EDGES TO DEFINE A DOUBLE THICKNESS UPPER WAIST PORTION HAVING A NECK OPENING AND SLEEVE OPENINGS, SAID UPPER WAIST PORTION CONFROMING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE NORMAL FIGURE DIMENSIONS; SAID PANELS, AT A SHORT DISTANCE BELOW SAID SLEEVE OPENINGS, BEING LATERALLY ENLARGED SUBSTANTIALLY TO FORM THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT WINGS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY RECTILINEAR UPPER EDGES, ALONG WHICH THE PANELS ARE PERMANENTLY SEAMED DIRECTLY TO EACH OTHER, EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE LOWER EDGES OF SAID UPPER WAIST PORTION; SAID WINGS HAVING OUTER EDGES, ALONG WHICH THE PANELS ARE PERMANENTLY SEAMED DIRECTLY TO EACH OTHER, EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL UPPER EDGES; WHEREBY SAID WINGS MAY BE FOLDED TOWARD EACH OTHER OVER EITHER THE FRONT OR THE REAR OF THE DRESS, TO FORM A GARMENT CONFORMING TO THE NORMAL FIGURE WHILE BEING EXPANDIBLE TO ACCOMMODATE LOWER FIGURE ENLARGEMENT WITH ADVANCING PREGNANCY. 